Thanksgiving 2009

Hello all!
We are getting ready for a fun week off from school next week. Darrell and the boys will be preparing for our Thanksgiving feast - hosted by yours truly. We are looking forward to hosting our first turkey day dinner this year for Darrell's family. It should be fun and very cozy!
We are in the midst of rennovating our small home. We hope to make some improvements that will make it more appealing to first time homebuyers or maybe a starter home for a new family. So we have been painting, laying new vinyl tiling, yard work, etc.. This little home has served us well but now we are excited about the possibility of a newer, larger home that can serve our needs better.
We send out our love and good tidings to our loved ones and friends who we can't be with this Thanksgiving. We love all of you and pray that God will bless you each day.
Love,
The Smarts

Back to School

There's nothing like the feeling of starting another school year. The clothes shopping, the school supply lists, the night before the first day butterflies! Tomorrow we begin a new year at Sadler Arts Academy. This will be Carson's first year at a big school and he is really looking forward to it. His big brother, on the other hand, is a little less enthused... Kanyon is beginning his fourth grade year and we can't believe how time flies.

We celebrated Kanyon's birthday last month by taking him to dinner to his choice of restaurant(endless shrimp buffet at China King). When we arrived home he found a full size basketball goal in the front yard. He couldn't believe his eyes. He was absolutely floored! Next day we celebrated more with a skate party with friends. He was showered with wonderful gifts once more.

As some of you know, I began working for OKDHS in June. Since then I have received a promotion and will soon begin my diligent training as a Social Services Specialist. The majority of my work will be helping needy families with assistance provided by the state. I look forward to this new endeavor and am certain that my background in Human Resources will give me a good basis for my new work.

Darrell has been putting in some hard work on the golf course this summer. We have had some very hot days and although he says he is used to the heat, I think he'll be glad when fall arrives.

Baseball season finally ended in July. We really enjoyed our time at the fields; the boys improved so much over the season and Coach Darrell was a very proud father. By the end of the season Kanyon was known as the best catcher of his league and Carson was who they put at bat when they wanted all the runners to come in to home plate. I guess I was a very proud mom as well!

Please continue to check our blog. I apologize for the lack of postings this summer. I'll try to post on a more regular basis.

Love,
The Smarts

Carson's Graduation

Carson's Graduation from Muskogee's Early Childhood Center will be held at Muskogee Civic Center Thursday, May 21st, at 6:30. We have been instructed to sit in the cushioned seats above the floor level. Hope some of you can make it!

May Days

Dear friends,

The James Taylor concert was incredible. For the first hour Darrell and I starred in complete awe of his talent and listened to his unique and never changing voice. It was amazing and well worth the wait.

We are planning a trip to Kansas at the end of this month for our annual family reunion on my dad's side. It is always fun visiting with cousins, aunts and uncles. I'm looking forward to introducing them to my new crew and providing a visual memory to all the stories I've exagerrated over time about "one time in Kansas..". Jim and Cindy and the Chicago Harbison's will also be attending which I know will please Howie. My boys can't wait to swim and play with Elsa and Henry, their favorite cousins.

The kids will have one more week of school when we arrive back in Ok. They are so excited for summer vacation, who wouldn't be? We're still in the planning stages of things to do over summer break but they are going to VBS at the beginning of summer and Kanyon is going to an over night camp later in the summer. I've been soliciting all of my friends who have kids for summer break ideas to keep the kiddos busy and out of the house!

Kanyon's big school trip to the Omniplex in OKC is this Thursday. He is so excited to sleep under the stars (inside the Omniplex), watch a movie about outer space and experience the feeling of being in the clouds, visit the OKC bombing site and the OKC zoo. This is a big trip for him where he and his entire third grade are staying overnight. Very cool.

We're hoping that Carson's first T-ball game will still be on for this Thursday night. We've had so much rain that it's been rescheduled numerous times.

We recieved wonderous news from Taiwan on Mother's Day morning. After four days of labor, Allison and Collin's baby girl, Hannah Grace, finally arrived! Cindy and Jim were so excited after recieving the news at 2:00 AM they never went back to sleep and instead went to IHOP for breakfast. Our Sunday school lesson was even about Hannah, mother of Samuel. Cindy was glowing with pride. God works in mysterious ways!

We are so happy to be able to provide our friends and family with updates, pictures and more through this blog. Please continue to visit often!

We love you all,
The Smart's

Live from Muskogee

Hello friends, family and guests!
Welcome to our new blog! We are thrilled to offer this venue to you as a way to view new photos, contact us thru FB or email, and read up-to-date news postings.

April 2009 snuck up and surprised Darrell and I both with our one year anniversary. This year really flew by for us. But we are so happy together and so thankful to have two beautiful boys in our care. Our lives are so enriched with their presence. And although our patience is tested often and our ears filled to the brim with constant chatter(mostly by Carson), we couldn't imagine a day without them in it.

Kanyon and Carson will both be attending school at Sadler Arts Academy in the fall. Kanyon is at the end of his 3rd grade year and we have been so lucky to have our friend, Mrs. Garrett, as his teacher. She is so supportive and encouraging, just what he needed in his transition from Tulsa Union. He rides to school each morning with my sister, Cindy, who spoils him rotten. Carson graduates from our Early Childhood Center May 20th and has a cap and gown for the occasion.

Both boys are on baseball teams this season. Kanyon catches for Bad Boys in the 8 yr old coach pitch league. So far we have had two double headers, 2-4. Carson plays third baseman for his t-ball team, The Bulldogs. But he hasn't played a game yet. His season begins this May. Darrell has enjoyed being asst. coach to Kanyon's team and gets more excited then the team at times!

We are looking forward to welcoming a new member to our family soon. My nephew, Collin, and his wife, Allison are expecting little Hannah Grace any day now. They are missionaries living in Taiwan right now so we will have to wait a while to see their precious baby.

Darrell and I are going to the James Taylor concert in Tulsa this May. JT kind of brought us together in a corny sort of way and we've always wanted to see him together LIVE. It should be a fun evening for us.

Hope all of you are well and please come back for updates on our family's news.

Love to you all,
The Smarts